An Unfortunate End

CW: Graphic violence

May 20

If only it were just a nightmare. If only she could wake up, with Thomas by her side, caressing her face, whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, my love. I'm right here with you".

Eloise let out a shaky breath and shifted slightly in her place, trying not to tip over the inflatable tanning bed she lay on. The plastic surface was growing increasingly uncomfortable by the day. The constant sun exposure had begun to soften the material. Eloise was simply waiting for it to break beneath her.

She had grabbed onto it as she watched the ship go down; she clung to it as she witnessed the rescuers leave. She held on to it as her heart tore itself apart. An excruciating pain it was to watch the life drain from the eyes of the person you love most.

The pain had been unbearable. It still was.

She felt empty and hollow, as though something had gone missing from her chest. She was bleeding inside, and it was all too hot to endure.

She beat herself up for not doing something to help. Whatever could she have done? There was nothing that could have been done. Yet still, she felt guilty for surviving without him.

Eloise thought of letting herself sink, but soon, she decided that this was a well-deserved punishment; stranded in the vast and empty blue waters, alone under the scorching summer heat, with no food, and no water and no path that leads home.

She lay awake, afraid of falling asleep, scared of what might happen if her eyes faltered shut. But what she feared even more was her brain, and its capability of forcing her to re-live the terror once more.

She watched the sun circle around her. Once. Twice. Perhaps a third time. Eloise couldn't remember. She was starting to lose track of time.

The blue sky had shown her its every other colour, yellow and orange, red and pink, an ink-covered canvas glittered in constellations.

Once or twice, she thought she had seen something in the distance. She would try to paddle towards it, but it wouldn't be too long before she'd realise; it was only a figment of her imagination.

It was the blazing summer sun that was doing this to her, it made the ocean spin around her, it made her feel nauseous. Soon enough, the pounding in her head grew dull, it all turned black, and she no longer felt.

-

She woke up a while later after a horrible dream, the first thing she noticed; her surroundings were no longer blue.

Around her stood a group of six or seven men, all watching her with wary expressions. They looked strange, as though they weren't from the same world Eloise was familiar with. They seemed to be part of a kind of indigenous tribe, the sort you'd only see on National Geographic.

They wore skirts of woven grass, their feet all bare against the sand. They accessorised with bird feathers, stones and shells from the sea. Long necklaces hung down their necks, charmed with teeth, bones and claws. Their skin was dark and luminous, their faces stained in coloured patterns.

She wanted to reach out to touch one of them; she wanted to know if they were really real. However, she held herself back from doing so.

They spoke to Eloise in an alien language. It was deep and nasal and sounded animalistic.

Nothing made sense to poor Eloise, and she began to feel something heavy wash over her. In a sudden frenzy, she broke down in tears. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed out loud.

An old man emerged from the forest nearby, accompanied by a boy walking by his side. Eloise lifted her head as they all parted to let him through.

He looked to be more respected. It was obvious he was their leader. He looked down at her as she sat on the sand. He grabbed the young boy and pushed him forward, giving him an order.

The boy, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, knelt down to Eloise and spoke in broken English.

"Where from come you?"

"London", Eloise answered, bringing herself to settle down.

"How come you here?" He pressed, his accent thick.

Eloise hesitated but gave a brief explanation. The memories still sharp and vivid in her mind.

The boy asked if she was the only one who had come. She nodded, feeling a jab at her chest.

"Do you think you can get me home?" Her tone was filled with desperation. The boy didn't answer and got back up, turning to the men, who talked among themselves for a while.

Their leader said few words, he shook his head and nodded. His eyes lingered dubiously on Eloise the entire time.

Not knowing what they were scheming left her extremely uneasy.

Finally, they seemed to come to an agreement. The young boy turned back to Eloise and helped her to her feet. He explained they'll figure out a way to help her. In the meantime, she could stay with them and the rest of the tribe.

They led her deep into the woods, into a village hidden by trees. They had huts, built from straw and thick branches, they were circular in shape, narrowing up top. The ground, unlike the forest floor, was smoothed out, easier to walk on. Decorations were hung in every corner, the materials were similar to what they fashioned themselves with.

As she entered the tiny settlement, its people stopped and gaped. Eloise was a strange sight to them.

She told them she was hungry and felt very weak. The ladies were very generous and prepared her a filling meal. They fed her till she was stuffed, and insisted she ate more.

As she did so, a few girls sat around her and gaped at her in awe.

They gave her a herbal drink that eased her pain throughout. She drank maybe a few cups too much.

Perhaps it was because she had eaten too much, or maybe it was something that was added to the tea but Eloise felt drowsy, and her muscles fell limp. They laid out a place for her to rest, and she slept with no dreams.

May 21

The next day, Eloise spoke with Romoo, the young boy. She wanted to know if they had a plan.

He brought her to Thoro - the elder from before - and there he translated what they had agreed on. They would build her a boat, stronger than the fishing vessels they already owned. Romoo explained that those were too fragile and wouldn't hold the weight if they went with them too far.

He said they'll try to map out a clear path to the nearest country, and there they'll sail her out to the people of her kind.

Eloise asked what country that was, but they claimed they didn't know it's name.

She tried asking which sea surrounded the island, Romoo frowned at her question and the multiple that came after.

She found it difficult to communicate with them, but she forced herself to stay patient. They were doing everything they could to accommodate her.

Thoro placed a hand over his chest as Romoo translated his reassurance. He told her not to worry, that soon she'll be at peace.

-

Eloise strolled around the village. Thoro's words did little to comfort her. She could only think of everything that could go wrong.

A girl approached her, inviting her for breakfast. Eloise didn't have an appetite and so shook her head politely, but the girl was persistent, and Eloise had no choice but to follow.

Everyone else had already eaten, yet there was plenty of food left aside for her.

The girl, she came to learn, was Romoo's wife. She introduced herself as Niri, which Eloise thought was a pretty name.

They were only newlywed but Eloise found it strange; she thought they were still a bit too young for marriage. Of course, however, she didn't share that idea out loud.

Niri invited her to join some friends. They collected embellishments for her to wear, braided her hair, and painted her face.

The attention did distract Eloise, and she, for a while, allowed herself to enjoy it.

Later that night, the entire tribe gathered for dinner. They put on a fire, sang songs and danced. They pulled Eloise in to join their celebration. They seemed genuinely happy to have her among them.

May 22

The morning after, she went again to Thoro. She asked about the boat and how the work was progressing.

He told her the men had already set to work, chopping down trees and gathering material. When she asked if she could watch, he firmly refused, saying she'd be better off spending her time in the village.

Eloise wasn't really happy with that proposition; she wanted to keep an eye on how good a job they would do, she also believed it would reassure her if she could see the boat come together, piece by piece.

Even so, Eloise remained respectful and went back to the village, pushing her discomfort aside.

That day, she went fishing with Niri and a group of women. Eloise would’ve preferred to stay within the trees and solid ground, but she still went along so as not to seem rude.

They used spears to catch the big fish, a mesh net to pull out the smaller ones. Eloise wasn't as skilled and so went to join the children who collected starfish by the shore.

The children enjoyed Eloise’s company. They taught her their games. One which was similar to musical chairs; they let Eloise win and rewarded her with a big portion at lunch.

When it drew close to bedtime, Eloise found herself dreading sleep; she couldn't bear to close her eyes and see Thomas’s face, still and pale and emptied of life.

She asked for the same drink she had been given the first night.

May 23-24

On the third day, Eloise asked what day it was. Niri held up a finger, then three, then five fingers, and after that another five.

“The second of third fifth of the fifth,” explained Romoo.

Eloise stared at the both and couldn't make out what that meant.

This day and the next passed in the same fashion as before. She stayed close to Niri, who showed her more of the village. They had a singular school where children learned to read and write, and a temple where they worshipped the spirits of the dead. She showed her the river in which they bathed and washed. Eloise was mildly fascinated by their way of life.

She helped collect berries, fruits and vegetables. She wasn't used to this kind of labour, and so her hands grew sore very quickly. When the hunters came back with sacks filled with prey, the women would all gather and cook delicious meals.

Eloise only asked about the boat once more; she was afraid of appearing too pushy, ungrateful and demanding. It did keep her on edge, not knowing when it would be finished, but she swallowed her feelings whole and tried to not dwell on it too much.

May 25

By the fifth day, Eloise felt a heaviness creep over her. She remained in her hut and didn't leave even when called for meals. They still urged her to eat, bringing food over to her instead.

She lay in bed feeling homesick, and for once let her mind wander.

It was noon before Niri came to find her. Eloise looked miserable.

She had been crying all day, and it was obvious; her cheeks were hollow, carrying vertical tear streaks, her eyes were sunken and reddened, her lips swollen and bitten raw.

Niri moved closer and sat by her side, carefully taking her hand in hers.

Eloise emptied her heart out to Niri, and talked about Thomas. She told her about how they had met in college and fell in love, how they moved fast to get married, as they were crazy for one another. She explained how it was coming up to their first year anniversary, how Thomas had surprised her with a trip to Bali on a cruise ship. She went over what went wrong; the issues the ship faced, rescue did come quickly, but it wasn’t enough to save them.

Niri couldn't have understood every single word, but she embraced Eloise nonetheless as she wept in her arms.

They stayed in such a state for quite a long while, and when Eloise had calmed, they left for dinner together.

She felt slightly better after crying, she felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.

They took a walk in the woods, sharing a still but comforting silence, however Eloise couldn't help but notice, Niri was acting a bit strange; she’d glanced over at her, and something would glisten in her eyes, sorrow or pity? Eloise couldn't quite place it.

There was anger there too, but not towards Eloise. With her, Niri was only tender, holding her hand and rubbing slow circles into her back.

Right before parting for bed, Niri slipped Eloise one of her bracelets and kissed her softly on the cheek.

May 26

It was deep into the night when Eloise was woken up. Niri crouched down next to her, pressing a finger gently to her lips.

She took Eloise by the hand and led her out of the hut. Eloise was confused but followed along, expecting an explanation soon.

The village was eerily empty, which was unusual. Normally, the men took turns guarding the homes as the village slept, but oddly, tonight, they were nowhere to be seen.

Niri kept glancing over her shoulder, making sure they couldn't be seen. She snuck Eloise behind the huts and quietly rushed into the forest, there they broke into a hurried stride as she dragged her fast towards the sea.

They stopped at the shoreline, where fishing boats were tied. Niri scurried to one of them and began loosening the knot.

Eloise asked what was going on, why they were here and why she was doing that. But Niri ignored and only guided her to the boat. Inside it, she could see plenty of food packed in sacks, along with several jugs of water.

“Go, far, far, go!” Niri urged, her voice slightly strained.

Eloise stepped back, shaking her head. This wasn't the boat they promised her, this wasn't the plan.

Niri grabbed her by both hands and pleaded with her to leave.

“Lie,” she explained, “No boat. Eat you”

At first, Eloise furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but then the meaning hit her, a knot tightened in her stomach.

Niri forced Eloise onto the boat, pressing the oars into her hands. She hugged her very tightly and bid her a safe trip, then, with all her might, she pushed her out into the water.

Eloise, however, was still frozen in fear. Her hands did not move the boat only hovered.

These were cannibals that she was staying with; they did not rescue her, nor were they trying to help her, they were going to eat her. They fed her beyond enough to thicken her flesh and meat, they weren't befriending her out of kindness but rather were joyful they had a tasty meal among them, one they didn’t have to hunt for.

Eloise felt sick, images flooded her mind of her body disembowelled, her head mounted on a spear. She gagged at the thoughts.

Soon adrenaline snapped her back, and she realised she must act quick, she was still very close to the island, in any second they could appear, and her chance at survival would be shattered.

She tightened her grip on both oars and rowed with all her strength. Her arms became strained almost immediately, her muscles lit on fire. Eloise was almost ready to give up.

However, in that exact moment, on the beach ahead appeared two men who seemingly came searching for her.

Her heart sank, she felt panic setting in. Stamina built up inside her, and she rowed faster to save her life.

More of them came out from the woods, a few jumped into the water and started swimming after her.

Arrows splashed into the sea around her, and their loud voices echoed as they shouted aggressively.

Eloise trembled, her heart pounding hard. Tears swelled up in her eyes from the immense terror she felt.

She glued her eyes down to her feet, keeping her focus on the oars. She was terrified she’d look up and find she hadn’t moved far at all, petrified to see a hand grip the edges of the boat. She imagined another would tear the oars right out of her hands, the boat would grow heavy, and she’d start moving back towards the island. She'd stare into a pair of dark and hungry eyes. Her dizziness would intensify, she’d probably black out. And when she would wake, she’d find herself tied to a pole.

A fire would be lit in front of her, around her, they’d all gather. They’d sing their songs and dance to the beat while the sound of metal against metal would chime nearby. She’d cry, but wouldn't beg, she’d know there’d be no point in doing so. Their voices would quiet down to a deep, eerie hum. One would walk towards her, all crooked teeth showing, eyes wide and gleaming. He’d hold the cold blade up against her neck, muttering odd phrases, before he’d slice into her sharply. Blood would gush out, her body would jerk, hitting against the rod, marking her in bruises.

But soon it would stop, her body would plop, her eyes would go blank, and with Thomas she would rest.